Brooklyn man sentenced to 25 years to life for murder of toddler

A Brooklyn man was sentenced on Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for the 2010 murder of his girlfriend's 19-month-old daughter.

Allen T. Shannon, 31, of East New York, was convicted last month of second-degree murder.

"The sentence imposed by the court today is just punishment and holds the defendant accountable for beating to death an innocent and helpless 19-month-old infant whose safety and well-being had been entrusted to him," said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.

Candice Jones, then 22, had left her toddler daughter in Shannon's care on the night of March 24, 2010, Brown said. Early the next morning, Jones received a call from Shannon saying that her daughter did not look well.

The child was taken to the hospital, where she later died of blunt impact injuries to the head and torso.

An autopsy determined that the baby suffered fractures, brain injury, a broken jaw, broken ribs, a lacerated liver and spleen, bruising on her face and internal abdominal bleeding.

In an attempt to cover up his crime, Shannon went to a friend and asked her to tell police that he had been at her home since before the incident. He explained that he had hit Jones and that the baby fell to the floor. Jones told police that Shannon did not hit her and that she did not drop her daughter on the floor.